Myles Gaskin – September 6, 2021
Monday, September 6, 2021
RB Myles Gaskin
(When I asked Head Coach Brian Flores about the areas in which you’ve improved since he met you, the first thing he said was blocking – protection. So how have you done that?) – “Just making it an emphasis for myself. Being a smaller guy obviously – you’re in the league now – so those guys are 260, 250, so you’ve got to bring everything you’ve got each play. I think I just kind of dove into it. ‘Coach E’ (Eric Studesville) and all the other running backs – we’re always trying to help each other so I think that’s kind of brought me along. Obviously when I was younger to now, being able to help the younger guys – Salvon (Ahmed) obviously, Gerrid (Doaks). Just kind of seeing it. Just seeing it over and over again and seeing what I’m good at and kind of honing in on those skills.”
(The follow-up is when a LB Khalil Mack kind of guy is coming at you…) – “I wouldn’t be blocking him. (laughter) He’s on the edge, but I mean…”
(It could never happen?) – “It could. No, no not like that. (laughter) But I’m saying I’d probably just cut him. That’s a rare dude. But outside of that, I try my best. Just keep working at it. If a Khalil Mack is my matchup, I’ll do my best.”
(How new is this to you? Did you do much protection in Washington?) – “Yeah, I did at UW. When I was younger – freshman, sophomore year – they kind of shied away from letting me do it. They kept me in like, free releases; but as a I got older just like here, I got more comfortable with it obviously in practice and then translated to the game. So just like anything else, just repetition and believing in yourself and not being afraid to make mistakes. That’s how you grow at anything.”
(Did you take it as a vote of confidence when your team didn’t draft anybody, didn’t draft a running back this year? Did you see that as believing in you?) – “Yes, but I mean at the end of the day, I don’t think – I think they have confidence me. I have confidence in myself. Just always work. However the draft went, I knew I was going to work as hard as I possibly could and that’s every year, every season, every day. I love this game, so I just like the grind.”
(You’re such a good receiver that you could be a third-down back, but you are also the lead first and second-down back. So what do you think is required of an NFL back who actually doesn’t have to come off the field?) – “Being consistent. Knowing his responsibilities, just like anything else. Just being able to do their job to the best of their abilities; for myself, if it’s running the ball – running hard, hitting the right holes, communicating with the O-line, what they see, what I see. If it’s receiving – getting open, catching the ball when it comes to you. And if it’s blocking, like I said before, just working on it and being able to be where I am now; I guess – ‘Coach Flo’ (Head Coach Brian Flores) said what he said and I appreciate that obviously, but I still think I got a lot of work to do in that aspect. I probably always will just being a smaller dude.”
(Kenyan Drake was a dude – you were with him for probably a year, right?) – “My rookie year.”
(He wasn’t the biggest dude, but he would sometimes throw a nasty block. Did that rile up the team watching it back on film?) – “Absolutely. That was a guy I kind of learned a lot from in that sense. His pad level – obviously he’s not the biggest dude either – bigger than me a little bit, but his pad level when he was blocking was kind of interesting. I never really looked at it like that and just kind of like I said earlier when I was a rookie; just learning from the older guys, just taking bits and pieces from their game and just kind of talking about it. And being able to do what I can do – I feel like a lot of young players try and emulate people – just taking bits and pieces for myself.”
(Aside from pass blocking, a lot of fantasy football owners are excited about what you can do because of all the other things that you mentioned – running the ball, catching the ball. What’s the message to anyone that trusts you on their fantasy team?) – “I don’t know anything about fantasy. Best of luck. (laughter)”
(I thought it was interesting that you were a seventh-round draft pick and you’re currently the seventh-most popular running back that the world is drafting. So I guess the question is, what does that say about draft status and what a guy can get done in the league?) – “I think when I first came in the league, my dad and a lot of people also told me, but definitely my dad – my dad never played in the league or anything about that – but it’s not about getting to the league, it’s about how long you can stay in the league. And I’ve heard that around the league from a lot of people and I think I just kind of carry that with myself. I don’t know about the question, if that answers your question. I don’t really buy into the seventh-round draft pick. I only just keep it as a chip on my shoulder in that sense; but fantasy, all that type of stuff does not interest me. I just play football. I play football.”
Jason McCourty – September 6, 2021
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Monday, September 6, 2021
DB Jason McCourty
(Pretty big game this weekend. Are you excited to see DB Devin McCourty?) – “I would be more excited if I could see his kids but I won’t get a chance to see his kids. Him, eh, he’s alright. (laughter) I saw enough of him the last three years.”
(What are the stakes? Do you guys have any stakes for the winner of this matchup?) – “Nah, just a lot of trash talk. He talks a lot. That’s just him. A lot of trash talk that probably will just be continued by a lot of trash talk after the game. All in love and fun.”
(He’s the bigger talker of y’all?) – “In regards to this, yeah for sure. He has an arrogance just from his years of a lot of winning. He’s developed that. It will be a lot of fun on Sunday.”
(If you win, are you going to let him know about it or what?) – “We’ll have conversations but I’ll leave that more up to him. I’m just trying to focus on executing and going out there one play at a time and see where that leaves us on Sunday. For sure in the offseason, there will definitely be a lot of trash talk going on between us two. Hopefully we can get our kids into it too. They can start trash talking each other. (laughter)”
(Your thoughts on going against a rookie quarterback in his first NFL game on Sunday?) – “I think for the most part, whenever you are preparing for an opponent, you don’t really want to look at their experience. You want to watch the film and see what they’re telling you on film and as we have gotten a chance to watch Mac (Jones) throughout the preseason, he’s doing a lot of good things for them. Just the subtle things he does, the way he moves the defense when he’s looking off; getting them into the right play at the line of scrimmage. I won’t say in regards to a rookie quarterback this or that, I just think we have a tough opponent coming and obviously a divisional opponent we are going to visit for Week 1. With Mac Jones there, it’s going to be a tough game and you can see some of the things early on in his career that he is able to do that puts him in a good place on offense so we are really going to have to go up there and execute well.”
(Were you surprised when QB Mac Jones was named the starter?) – “I think there’s always surprises and things you don’t really know as you get to the end of training camp in the NFL in general. I would say I wasn’t expecting that, but it just goes to show what he’s been able to show in his time there and how he’s been able to execute, how well he’s been able to pick up the playbook and everything he’s shown them on the practice field to inside the building to make them feel comfortable with that decision. We’ve got to know whoever they put out there was the best guy for the job. That shows us we really have to go out there and prepare well to get ready for him.”
(Where do you think the emotions will be like for you?) – “I won’t say I’m used to it but I think having to switch teams before in my career, I’ve done it before. My first year in New England I went back to Nashville to play against the Titans. The second year in New England, I played against Cleveland. I’ve gotten a chance to go against former teams and I guess, what I’ve even told guys here, what I’ve learned is it’s another football game. I think sometimes as players, we get so involved and you get so riled up that you go out there and you psych yourself out of execution or you psych yourself out of a play. For me, you’re getting a chance to go. It’s a fun game because you know a lot of guys on the other side and it reminds you of growing up, playing football in your neighborhood where you’re going against all your friends and it’s more trash talk and it’s more competitive because you really want to beat those guys. For me, I look at Sunday like I’m to play a game in New England like I’ve done other times in my career. I just spent some time there this time. It should be exciting. I’m looking forward to it.”
(That being said, is there a player that you are looking forward to going against or tackling the most knowing that you know those guys well?) – “(laughter) Nah, I can’t say there’s any given person. I don’t think over my three years I don’t think I had any of those in-practice battles or heated arguments where you’re like finally getting to go against a certain guy. I wouldn’t say that. If I got a chance to go against my brother that would be a lot of fun but obviously that won’t happen because we shouldn’t be on the field together at the same time.”
(Not to beat the QB Mac Jones horse, but do you almost have to look at him as more than your average rookie given what you have to do to earn Bill Belichick’s trust?) – “I just think for us, there’s no film of him. I once had a coach say, ‘prepare for war in a time of peace.’ I think sometimes you look at it and you’re like, ‘Oh there’s a rookie quarterback, we’ll be alright,’ and you have no idea what this rookie quarterback is going to go out there and do Week 1 of the season. You better make sure you’re dotting all of your I’s, crossing all your T’s and disregard Bill Belichick. Just the fact that he’s a rookie quarterback and he’s stepping into the NFL, you know he’s prepared for the moment or he wouldn’t be out there. I think for us – especially when there was a veteran in front of him so you know he’s going to be prepared, he’s going to be ready to go and we have to make sure we are doing the same.”
(Bill Belichick is the most successful of the active coaches on opening weekend. What was your perspective when you were up there? Why is he so successful on opening weekend?) – “I have no idea. He scores more points than the teams he’s going against, I guess. (laughter) I don’t know. I have no clue why opening weekend or whatever. I guess for me, I just want to make sure this weekend he’s not successful on opening weekend.”
DeVante Parker – September 6, 2021
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Monday, September 6, 2021
WR DeVante Parker
(You’ve had a whole camp with some of the new guys in the receiving corps. What stands out to you about this group as a whole?) – “We have a lot of speed in the room now. A lot more than what it was. We got guys that like to compete, as usual. I’m just looking forward to getting going.”
(Talking about the team with the season just kicking off here, how would you describe the motivations of the team?) – “The motivations of the team?”
(What’s your sense of how motivated the team is for this season?) – “We’re just getting ready to play the first game. We’ve got a long season ahead. We’re looking at the first game first, then we’ll worry about the next. We’re motivated though, I would say.”
(How has this offseason been for you? From January up until now – physically, mentally, everything?) – “It’s been pretty good. I have a trainer keep me on a strict schedule I’ve been on and making sure everyone is right. Making sure we’re all getting healthy.”
(Is any part of you disappointed that CB Stephon Gilmore isn’t going to be out there on Sunday?) – “A little bit. I want him out there but they have a good group of guys back there without him. I’m just looking forward to the matchups.”
(Between QB Tua Tagovailoa’s development and the new additions to the receiver room, how much better suited is this year’s team to be more of an aggressive passing offense than last year’s team?) – “We just have to execute our plays. That’s it. Not comparing this year or last year, we just have to execute our plays. That’s it and we’ll be fine.”
(How many big plays do you envision the offense making?) – “You got to have some big plays if you want to win. We just got to go out there and make them.”
Raekwon Davis – September 6, 2021
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Monday, September 6, 2021
DT Raekwon Davis
(Did you get to play with Patriots QB Mac Jones?) – “Yeah, I did. I did.”
(Tell me about him as a player. What did you learn about him out there on the practice fields and watching video and stuff?) – “Smart guy. Smart guy. He likes to take one play at a time. He’s an accurate guy. I loved playing with him at ‘Bama. He’s a funny kid.”
(You said funny. What was his sort of personality like?) – “He thought he was the Joker. Like he was into the Joker so he really thought he was the Joker. (laughter)”
(Inaudible) – “I mean yeah, he looked just like him, you know, so that was his thing. (laughter)”
(Like Heath Ledger Joker or a different?) – “No, like the Joker like the villain.”
(That’s what I’m saying. Like which one did QB Mac Jones kind of – there’s obviously different actors who played the Joker) – “Uh, yeah, I definitely don’t know his character on that. (laughter) No I don’t know his character on that, but that was his guy.”
(Have you talked to QB Mac Jones since he’s been named the guy there?) – “Just here and there. Not too much. Just here and there when I can.”
(Probably like “congrats,” that sort of thing?) – “Yeah.”
(On having QB Mac Jones, QB Tua Tagovailoa and QB Jalen Hurts in the quarterback room at Alabama now getting ready to start Week 1 in the NFL) – “Man, that’s crazy. It just – they earned it. They worked for it. That was their dream growing up so just watching them all get drafted and all developing, it’s just crazy.”
(Obviously you weren’t in the room, but just kind of being on that team, what was their kind of relationship like because you have a bunch of highly regarded recruits and quarterbacks all in the same room and each of them are kind of waiting for their opportunity. What did you see from all their relationships from afar?) – “They all were just great leaders. They always just took the offense and they always just pushed the offense to do well. They’re just all great leaders.”
(How different is this Week 1 game week for you compared to the same time last year?) – “For me, it’s just dialogue and just getting that playbook. Just one play at a time. That’s about it.”
(How much grief have you given LB Jaelan Phillips today or is it just ho-hum with spanking another team?) – “I just try to lead him. Just push him to go hard. That’s about it.”
(No, I meant about Alabama beating Miami.) – “Oh, (University of) Miami. No, he was there. Like he was watching it. (laughter) He was watching it. I’m not going to get into all that but he watching it, so he knows. (laughter)”
(Alabama beats the crap out of opponents so often. When you were doing that, did you ever have any sympathy, empathy? Did you ever at all feel bad for the other team?) – “(laughter) I don’t even know how to answer that. No, I mean, we just did our part. Coach (Nick) Saban, he just always preaches one play at a time. Beat your box. Just beat your man. That’s all we did.”
(But you just killed people. It seemed like it wasn’t even fair sometimes. There were so many five-star recruits. Did you ever look around and be like, “man, we’ve got a lot of five stars?”) – “No. To be honest, I never paid attention to all that. My thing is just building a team and building relationships with guys. We never just looked at all that.”
(When it comes to the Patriots rushing attack and what they try to accomplish, what’s kind of a key coaching point for this week against the Patriots rushing offense?) – “Stopping the run. Make them earn it. Make them earn every yard.”
Brian Flores – September 6, 2021
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Monday, September 6, 2021
Head Coach Brian Flores
(TE Adam Shaheen is out, correct?) – “Adam Shaheen is on the COVID IR list. Yes.”
(Can you tell us if T Austin Jackson is out?) – “Austin is the COVID IR list also. So both guys were placed on there this morning. They’re currently out and we’ll just kind of take it day-to-day and see how things go over the next few days.”
(How much does that impact you kind of having that pop up today?) – “I think it’s kind of a ‘next man up’ mentality and that’s kind of how we’ve taken it this morning. Obviously those are two players we like, we feel strongly about, who are contributors to this team; but we have to assume and move forward as if they won’t be with us and then we will kind of – well, we’ve already reassessed and said, ‘hey, we’re going to do this, this and this’ – and prepare for the next guy to play and contribute. That’s the plan moving forward.”
(For T Austin Jackson I guess in particular, I think he was supposed to be your starting left tackle. Do you have a plan for what will be your left tackle plan if he can’t go?) – “Yeah, we’ve talked about that as a staff. We’ve got a few different options. We’ve got multiple players who have played over on the left and on the right, so we’ll work a few different combinations today and see what that looks like in practice and talk about it over the next few days. There’s an opportunity to get both guys back, so we’ll see how it goes.”
(How has T Greg Little done since he arrived?) – “I think Greg (Little) has done a nice job. I think Greg has worked hard to learn the offense, to learn the terminology. He’s a hard-working kid. He’s taking in all the information and then tried to apply it in practice and in games, and I think he’s had some bright moments the couple weeks that he’s been here. We’re just going to continue to work with him and develop him.”
(We saw T Liam Eichenberg kind of early in camp and then I think he got banged up at some point. Where is he maybe health-wise? Is he ready to contribute Week 1 if you need him to be?) – “Liam (Eichenberg) is day-to-day. He’s doing everything he can to get back out there as quickly as he can and he’ll try to get out there as soon as he can. That’s where he’s at.”
(Are S Jevon Holland and WR Preston Williams fully good to go in practice this week?) – “You’ll see both of them at practice today. Both have worked to deal with their situations, injuries, worked hard and have rehabbed, and yeah, they’ll both be out at practice today.”
(I wanted to clarify something a minute ago and maybe this is just me so you’ll have to forgive me, but I think a minute ago you said there’s an opportunity to get both guys back. Does that mean it’s possible – underline the word “possible” – that T Austin Jackson and/or TE Adam Shaheen might be able to play on Sunday?) – “It’s possible, yes. I think under the protocol – yeah, it’s possible.”
(I know you’ve talked about it a little bit in the past, but vaccination and whatnot; obviously when you have TE Adam Shaheen who is not vaccinated, how do you kind of approach that situation where a player tests positive or is a close contact and that may impact the team for a variety of reasons for that?) – “I think it’s – I would never question Adam’s (Shaheen) commitment to the team. I think guys have a decision to make. They make it. We support it and we move forward. And I think that’s how a team, teams work. So I’m never going to question his commitment; I’m never going to question any player’s commitment. I think it’s a personal decision. (He’s) someone that I support and we deal with whatever happens after that.”
(I didn’t know if this past weekend or I guess this current weekend was Labor Day weekend – did you have any message to your guys about traveling or doing different things back home during this weekend?) – “I told them to be safe. I told them it was probably not in their best interest to just lay on a couch for three days; so get up, get out, get a workout in, go over the game plan a little bit, but enjoy themselves and spend time with their families, but be smart. I think that was kind of the message and I think our guys did that.”
(Do you get the sense guys are coming back now feeling refreshed and now ready to ramp up ahead of Week 1?) – “I mean, yeah, there’s excitement in the room. I think with this opponent, the opportunity to play a division game, a team like this, on the road. I think guys are excited to practice, to prepare for this opportunity and I think that’s what it’s about. It’s about preparation and if we prepare the right way, we’ll give ourselves the best chance to have some success. I think the focus is on the preparation.”
(The last time the Dolphins beat the Patriots and I think I have this stat right – it was in my story so I hope it’s right – it said that QB Tua Tagovailoa’s longest completion in that ballgame was 15 yards. Obviously you ran the ball very effectively that particular day. How much better prepared do you think Tagovailoa is to create explosive plays this season as opposed to last season?) – “I think Tua (Tagovailoa) is a better player. I think he’s worked hard. I think he’s made a lot of improvement. I think every game is a little bit different. I really do. I think every game, the ebbs and flows of the game, what’s working, what’s not working, where the matchups are, the weather; there’s a lot of things that play into that. So yeah, we always want to create explosive plays. We want to limit them defensively. But every game is a little bit different and I think at the end of the day, the quarterbacks wants to have command of the offense, move the football, protect the football and to me that’s playing well.”
(I want to ask you about slow starts. Something that has been – it happened in this franchise before you even got here there has been years where the team has started slow and picked up steam as the season went along. What’s your message to the players in terms of the importance of starting fast? Is there anything you as a head coach can do to try to get this team on track early?) – “You always want to start fast. I think it’s all about preparation. If we’re ready to go and we prepare, it gives us the best chance to execute. Again, every year is a little bit different and we’re not really thinking about previous years. We’re thinking about today and what’s in front of us and the preparation for this week will give us an opportunity, or a chance to potentially have good execution on Sunday. You can’t have one without the other. I think our players know that. That’s where the focus is right now, not on previous years. It’s more on right now, today. We always want to start fast. Every drill, every period, every meeting, we always want to start fast. I think the preparation is a big part of starting fast.”
(The Patriots spent a lot of money during the offseason on free agency. How much of an impact do you think those players will have for the Patriots, and how surprising was it for you to see them having that strategy?) – “I think they will have a significant impact. They’ve got some very good players at the tight end position, defensively. I think they’ll have a significant impact. I think they are good players. They are guys that could potentially be featured on both sides of the ball and the kicking game as well. They complement a lot of the players they already have on the team. They fit what Bill (Belichick) and his staff are trying to do. I think they are good additions. It will be a competitive game. They’ve got a good team. They are well coached. We’re going to have to prepare the right way and execute the right way if we’re going to have success.”
(What made CB Jamal Perry the choice to be the COVID-19 replacement from the practice squad considering you guys already have 12 DBs on the active roster?) – “Jamal is somebody we have a lot of history with and we think he can help us. At the end of the day, we’re going to do what we feel is best for the team. We’re going to bring guys up who can help us. We felt that way about him, so we brought him up.
(I wanted to get back to what you mentioned earlier about trying a couple of different offensive line combinations. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think G/T Jesse Davis was probably going to pencil into the right side of the offensive line. What’s your philosophy on moving multiple guys, just trying to get the best five versus replacing one guy? I know some coaches think differently on that.) – “Get the best five. That would be my initial answer. There is a lot that goes into that. You want your best five players out there. I think we’ve had a few different combinations. I think from a communication standpoint, the guys should’ve worked together in some different roles. My first thought would be to get the best five guys out there and take it from there.”
(You brought up one COVID replacement over two spots. The idea behind that?) – “Wait and see. (laughter)”
(Is one expected to come back sooner?) – “Wait and see.”
(What stands out to you about WR Jaylen Waddle’s summer and how early he can be a key contributor for you guys?) – “I think Jaylen has worked hard. I think he’s gotten better over the course of training camp. I think he’s smart, I think he’s tough, I think it’s important to him. I think he prepares that right way and when you put all of those things together, it gives you an opportunity to play well and be in the right spots and gives you an opportunity to execute. I think we’ve got a lot of guys who have done those things and we’ve just got to put it all together. That’s what training camp is all about and what this week is going to be all about. I think that’s where our focus is right now.”
(What’s the first thing that jumps out about RB Myles Gaskin in terms of what he’s better at now than he was when he first arrived in the building?) – “The first thing that comes to mind is protection. I think he’s really worked hard at that and made that a part of his game where he’s not a guy we’ve got to take out in those situations. That’s the first thing that comes to mind. And then his professionalism. He’s a guy who is in early, out late, doing extras – whether it’s JUGS, whether it’s running routes, whether it’s film study – and all of the work that he puts in. Again, all the preparation he goes through gives him an opportunity to have some success on the practice field and then hopefully in games. He’s done a nice job.”
(I know you’ve done it a few times as it’s your third year here. But going up to Foxborough playing the Patriots, given your history, does it add any significance to you?) – “It’s a good team. Well coached. I was there a long time. I think as the years pass – I’m a Miami Dolphin. That’s where I’m at. When we go up there, we’re going up there to play a tough competitive team and we’re going to compete as well. It’s a road game in a tough environment against a good team that’s well coached. We’ve got to prepare the right way to have some success. No, there is no nostalgia or anything like that.”
Mike Gesicki – September 2, 2021
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Thursday, September 2, 2021
TE Mike Gesicki
(What’s it like hearing a story like that about G Robert Jones, a guy who didn’t have any D-I offers and comes from a junior college and makes it?) – “Absolutely. To see – you see just how positive he is, how happy he is. So I’m super happy for him. He’s an awesome guy, good teammate and obviously a great football player. He has come in here, impressed a lot of people, made plays, been physical in the run game and in pass protection and all that kind of stuff. I’m super happy for him.”
(One thing that’s common sports – maybe you wouldn’t see it in other professions – is a guy basically having to help mentor or train a guy who eventually could compete for that guy’s playing time. Now you have good people like you, DB Jason McCourty, G/T Jesse Davis who have young high draft picks behind them who are going to help those guys. But when you look at TE Hunter Long, does that thought – and not just with him specifically – does that thought ever cross your mind if you see a draft pick behind you? Say “well, I’m training this guy who might replace me” or is it just natural as a teammate and good guy to do it?) – “No, absolutely. I came in here four years ago as a second-round pick and I was looking for that guidance and help and somebody to help me out. So I know exactly the shoes that Hunter (Long) is in right now and anything I can do to help him, I’m willing to do it. We – me and Durham – we even went out to dinner with him just last week. Just anything whether it’s in the building, outside the building. Just hanging out and just helping with football and anything out there. It’s not the competition that people would think like, ‘oh man, I’m not telling him this because I don’t want…’ No. We want everybody to succeed in our room.”
(Who helped you? Was TE Anthony Fasano on that team?) – “No, so my year, it was MarQueis Grey, AJ Derby. There were a couple other guys, but those were the two older guys in the room and then Nick O’Leary came in so we had a couple guys in the room and it doesn’t have to just be in your room. There were a lot of older guys. I just kind of watched, see how they go about their business. The guy that I was kind of looking at that year was Danny Amendola. He was the locker next to me. Just kind of seeing how he goes about his business and all that kind of stuff.”
(What’s the evolution been like for you? You mentioned four years ago you coming in the league to where you are now.) – “I think for me, I think just kind of learning through – you could say ‘adversity’ or ‘struggles’ – it wasn’t anything major but just not having that instant success. You come in here; people – I remember when I got drafted, it was ‘oh, he’s going to score 100 touchdowns and he’s going to have all these catches and this, that, the other thing.’ And it didn’t happen. And it didn’t happen right away and it didn’t happen for the whole season honestly. And you kind of go back and you look at it and what do you have to improve on and all that kind of stuff and for me, it was just kind of learning the ins and outs of the game and going out there and making plays. So releases, second-level releases, getting guys’ hands off you. How are you going to run this route versus this coverage. So I think just kind of taking those negative, per se, experiences earlier in my career and then building off of it. I think once you make that first play, you kind of get that confidence. For me ,it was against Washington my second year in a two-minute drill. I caught a back-shoulder seam ball in a two-minute drill and that was like ‘all right, I can go out here and make plays and I can go out here and do it.’ I think once you make that first one, you kind of get that confidence and I think I always say to you guys – you’ve got to make the most out of your opportunities when they come and that’s kind of how I go about my business.”
(I remember that time and I guess it would have seemed like it would have been easy to get down on yourself. People were saying a lot of [expletive] about you and stuff like that. What did you do to not go down that hole?) – “So I’ve actually – obviously you hear the good, the bad, the ugly, everybody has something to say – and now you hear all the good stuff. People want to talk all – I don’t pay attention to any of it just because it’s just not productive either way. You pay attention to the bad stuff, then you’re down on yourself. You pay attention to the good stuff, you’re going to have a bad game here and the bad stuff is coming back. That’s just how it goes. I dealt with a little adversity back when I was in college and my sophomore year at Penn State and had kind of a similar situation and all the negative stuff. You just kind of flush it out and you don’t even listen to it. Come out, do your thing and when people want to hop on the bandwagon, it’s too late.”
(So you know where you were at the end of your rookie year and it’s pretty clear that you were disappointed that it didn’t turn out better than it did. So when that rookie season ended maybe you were cleaning out your locker and all of that – where was your mindset? What were you thinking at that point?) – “At that time, it was a new was coming in and you’ve got to come out here and prove it. I knew what I had to improve on and I knew the things that I had to do to come out here in this league and make plays and I just kind of went to work. That’s the thing. Every day after practice I stay out there and I do my JUGS. And I did that my rookie year. And I did it – but it’s like, ‘Oh man, I didn’t have any catches my rookie year. I didn’t make plays. All right, I’m going to stop doing what I’m doing.’ No. I’m going to keep doing it because at some point the opportunity is going to come. You don’t know when it’s going to come, but you have to be ready for it when it does. So that was kind of the mindset that I took. Just kind of sticking with my routine. Just kind of starting to learn the more ins and outs of the game, how to analyze defenses and coverages. ‘All right, this is Cover 1. He has this leverage on me. I’m going to run it this way.’ Rather than just being ‘I’m big and fast so I can go up and make the plays.’ Everybody in this league is big and fast and I think that was kind of something I had to learn. I was able to do so and now here I am to hopefully just add another year under my belt and go out there and make the most out of my opportunities.”
(There’s a lot of flooding up in the Northeast. Are your family and friends fine?) – “Yeah, family is good. I actually just heard about that this morning. That is crazy. I had no idea so obviously thoughts and prayers to everybody up there. That’s a wild situation right there, but I appreciate you asking that.”
(Every team that’s scouting you this year obviously knows how productive you’ve been and that you’re dangerous. That said, are you kind of curious to see how coverage of you changes at all with the injection of the explosiveness of WR Will Fuller and WR Jaylen Waddle with this offense?) – “We definitely got playmakers in the huddle; so you add a guy like Jaylen (Waddle), you add a guy like Will (Fuller), you get a guy like Albert (Wilson) back, you’ve got DeVante (Parker) out there. There’s playmakers across the board. And then you add in our running backs that can make plays in the pass game and then the rest of our tight ends. Honestly just across the board – there’s guys across the board that can make plays, so I think the biggest thing is just kind of knowing your role, knowing your assignment and then when you get in there, just understanding the concept of the play. Not every play is designed to get you the ball. Sometimes I’ve got to run and go take that backside safety to open it up for the next guy, so understand the concept of the play and then go out and execute it.”
(Hearing you kind of explain some of your story earlier, I couldn’t help but notice maybe some similarities with QB Tua Tagovailoa. Maybe some of the stuff that you had to go through. Have you talked to him at all about maybe your experience, his experience and maybe some of that?) – “Obviously Tua’s is way more blown up than mine. I was just a little nobody up at Penn State and obviously his is everywhere. I admire how he goes about his business and how he handles himself. I’ve kind of shared my opinions in the past about everything that he’s kind of gone through, so I’m proud of him just about how he goes about it and he’s the same guy every day. Positive, just goes out there and executes and does his job to a very high level; but personally, no, I haven’t talked to him about handling this or that just because I see him every day and he goes about his business at a very professional level and like I said, extremely positive and does a great job.”
(Obviously you’ve been a big supporter of QB Tua Tagovailoa, a defender of him at times. He doesn’t feel the need to do that. Do you feel like you guys as teammates sometimes have to carry the shield because he’s so lowkey, you know, quiet guy?) – “Honestly that’s just me. That’s just who I am. I feel like there’s different ways to handle things and go about things. Tua’s my guy so I’ll go to bat for him any day, but he focuses on ball and focuses on being a good dude and being a good teammate. I think that’s why things work out for him because of the way that he goes about his business.”
(QB Ryan Fitzpatrick had his ways I’m sure, things that I would never even know, little things he did. Is there anything that QB Tua Tagovailoa has sort of picked up the torch on and maybe even like a little tradition or some team thing?) – “In terms of that kind of stuff, the thing that Tua has done this year – him and I – we kind of on special teams periods, I’ll get together with him and just go get a couple extra reps. Like ‘hey, this is how I see this route right here.’ This is how I think they’re going to cover you here.’ And we just kind of go through the timing and get that chemistry down and I think that is just a bonus and to sit there rather than, ‘all right, they put the install up and this is this play and this is this stencil, this is how…’ He says, ‘all right, I understand this is the route, but hey, if you’ve got to cut this short because I’m getting pressure or hey, we’ve got this leverage and you’ve got to bend it here, that’s okay.’ So I think just going through it and talking through it with him and you can kind of see his confidence this year compared to last year just because you get that year under your belt and he has that knowledge of the game and kind of just talking through things. It’s been very productive.”
(Obviously you have to share Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends George Godsey a little bit more with the offense now. What have you noticed about George and Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs Eric Studesville’s offense as they put it together and what stands out?) – “I think the biggest thing – football is football – there’s only so many different plays you can run and all that kind of stuff, but they’ve done a good job just kind of instilling confidence in everybody, getting guys in positions to be successful and I think we’ve done a good job grasping it as an offensive unit in all positions in all phases. I’m excited to kind of get this thing rolling.”
(How has WR Albert Wilson looked since coming back? I guess he’s coming back from two different things – last year and also in recent weeks? So what can he inject into an offense?) – “Yeah, Albert (Wilson) has done a great job and you can tell that he’s kind of invested in himself and has been working extremely hard for this opportunity. I’m really happy for him and I think that what you guys saw out in training camp; just the speed and the ability to make plays downfield, but also catch-and-run stuff, similar to how he was back in 2018 when you saw that burst that he had prior to him, like you alluded to, coming back from that. So I think he’s done a great job and I’m excited for him this upcoming season.”
Robert Jones – September 2, 2021
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Thursday, September 2, 2021
G Robert Jones
(I saw you throw a man. Can you tell me what happened on that play that became a little viral?) – “We had a play called and I just followed my technique and my coaching points. When I got out there, there was a person out there for me to block. I tried to do everything coach said to do and it ended up working in my favor.”
(What does it feel like when you get to do that?) – “I really don’t know how it feels. I just take it a play at a time. I didn’t even know it happened like that. I thought he tripped and fell. (laughter) After I made the play, I just got up and got back to the huddle. I was just ready to go. I didn’t want to focus on, ‘Oh, I knocked him down’ or anything.”
(Do you recall your initial reaction when 4 p.m. passed on Tuesday and you said, “I’m an NFL player. I’m on a 53-man roster!”) – “Man, it was a blessing. I was happy to get the opportunity to still be out here and play for the Miami Dolphins. I was just so blessed for the opportunity.”
(Did you have any Power 5 offers? Any major college football offers at all before you went the junior college route and then Middle Tennessee? Were there any Power 5 offers?) – “No Power 5 offers.”
(Any with FBS?) – “I had a number of FBS offers. I just felt like Middle Tennessee (State) was the place to go, so I took it and ran with it.”
(To go from no Power 5 offers to standing at this podium today, it’s not a journey a lot of guys actually get to make. Why are you here?) – “Coming from JUCO, it was hard. I just kept my head down and kept working. I took that with me when I went to Middle Tennessee and I just tried to be the best player I can be. I was lucky enough to have coaches who pushed me. I have family members who stuck by my side and pushed me. It ended up working in my favor and when I was able to take the jump, I took it and ran with it.”
(Obviously they made you a nice financial offer after the draft. Had you sensed that was coming from the Dolphins? Had Offensive Line Coach Lemuel Jeanpierre reached out to you before the draft where you know the Dolphins had interest?) – “No. My only time talking with the Dolphins really was the Senior Bowl. I liked them and I had a feeling that they liked me, but I didn’t know what was going to happen. After the draft, I was prepared to go anywhere and lucky enough the Miami Dolphins called and I really liked the coaching staff from the Senior Bowl. I knew that was the place.”
(What was the mindset you came into training camp with?) – “Just get better every day. Just try to be the best player I can be. I knew there would be a lot of things that I was going to have to work on and learn so I wasn’t setting high expectations. I was just taking it one day at a time.”
(At what point did you start to believe that this is a real possibility for you? Going back to maybe your junior college days or Middle Tennessee? When did it become?) – “I would say when I got my first D-I offer in JUCO. When they offered me – my first offer was UT Martin, FCS. When I got that offer, it hit me that I probably could play on Sundays. I just focused on getting through JUCO and getting through my college and now I’m here.”
(They like linemen six-through-nine on this team to be able to play multiple positions, which you can. What spots among the five are you feeling like you could play? All? Most? Everything but center?) – “I feel like I can play anything, honestly. Wherever the coach needs me to go out there and play, I’ll take a couple reps and I feel like I can be successful.”
(What is the biggest difference here between the setup here at the Miami Dolphins Baptist Health Training Facility compared to the setup at Highlands Community College in Kansas?) – “(laughter) Man, JUCO was rough. (laughter) All I’m going to say is it’s a blessing. You got all the things to take care of your body. You got nutrition and everything. You have everything to be successful. In junior college, you have certain things; but it wasn’t there or wasn’t presented to you.”
(It’s the slide, right?) – “Yes, sir. (laughter) For sure.”
(Did you get any texts from any college teammates or coaches on Tuesday night? Has there been any of that?) – “Man, everybody texts or calls me, congratulates me because I came so far. No one ever thought that I would be in this position, especially knowing a guy in this position yet. Everyone was happy for me and I am just trying to make them proud.”
(You’ve been smiling the whole time talking to us. What have the emotions like for you?) – “It’s just a blessing to be here. I’m just happy to be here. Happy for every opportunity I’m getting. I’m just going to take it and run with it.”
(Did you sign a lease now and go through all that real-life kind of detail?) – “Oh yeah, I got me a little house. Not house, an apartment. (laughter) I got me a nice little apartment, living comfortably. Try to take it day-by-day.”
(No hotels or any of that stuff?) – “No hotels. (laughter)”
(What is your favorite aspect of offensive line play?) – “I feel like just being able to be aggressive in the trenches. Just me being able to go against another man and move him against his will, I feel like that’s the best part of playing offensive line.”
Albert Wilson – September 2, 2021
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Thursday, September 2, 2021
WR Albert Wilson
(The first couple of weeks you were like the most dynamic player we’ve seen in training camp here in 10 years and then we didn’t see you for a while. Is what was keeping you sidelined anything that worries you that could be an issue this season?) – “Nah, we are ready to go. Nah, we are ready to go from here on out.”
(Do you feel good?) – “I feel great. Yep.”
(It seems like with the addition of WR Jaylen Waddle and WR Will Fuller to this room that there is an emphasis on creating separation amongst the receiver room. Is that accurate? Is that where you guys are right now?) – “I just think overall as a receiver, that’s your job. But yeah, we definitely have a lot of guys that can do that. We definitely put an emphasis on it, so yeah.”
(What do you think about that combination of speed that you guys added?) – “It’s great. I feel like the coaches can do a lot with it stretching the field vertically and horizontally. I think that puts a lot of pressure on defenses. I think that’s why they went out and got these guys so we can have an advantage on offense.”
(Is that maybe underrated around the league? It seems like for a long time, when people thought of a wide receiver it was the 6-foot-4, big catch radius, jump ball guys. Have you noticed a shift more towards guys who can…) – “Yeah, for sure. It became more of a passing league. It was kind of run downhill and have your backs going and getting them a lot of touches. Now it’s a passing league. You definitely want a lot of guys that can stretch the field and run great routes and stuff like that.”
(How excited are you to see how coaches is going to use you and WR Jaylen Waddle and WR DeVante Parker and all sorts of different creative packages? Are you excited to see what Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends George Godsey and the guys come up with?) – “Yeah, definitely. It’s always exciting when you have a lot of guys that’s working with you, that can do a lot of things. It makes the offense a lot more exciting.”
(After a week or two of training camp, it was obvious to all of us that you were on this team. That was our assessment. When you returned to the team officially in the spring, did you feel like you had a little bit of an uphill battle? Did you think all along that you were going to be on the roster?) – “I just knew if I had the opportunity to make this team, I was going to make this team. I’ve got a lot of confidence in myself. The year off helped me build myself mentally and physically. I just knew if I had the opportunity, it was a done deal.”
(What’s it going to be like next weekend playing a football game for the first time in a year and I don’t know how many months?) – “A blessing. I worked really hard to get to this point and now that it’s finally here, it’s definitely a great feeling.”
(What was your time away like? How did you stay prepared after excelling so much early in camp? And how did it feel this week to be able to come back?) – “Training. The same schedule I’ve been on, I pretty much stayed on that same schedule. I knew when we had a bye week, I took that week off. When I knew the guys were in the building, I was going into the facility and training. I was trying to stay in the mindset, but to step away from the game and think about other things, it made me realize how much I do love football and how much I do love playing for the Dolphins. Getting back, I wanted to show everybody how much I love this game and how much I love the team.”
(What about missing time from practice? Were you able to get right back into it this week?) – “Yeah. I’m still around the building every day and walkthroughs and stuff like that, so it doesn’t seem like any time passed.”
(I’m guessing that you guys haven’t shown everything in your bag of tricks either in the preseason games or even when we’re watching. How excited are you to see everything that you guys know you can do in action in a game that counts?) – “Very exciting. It’s all talk until it’s done. For us to get out there as a unit and have everybody back and just go out here and compete against another team, we’re very excited for that to happen.”
(What stands out to you about this new offensive scheme and what it can do for you guys?) – “It’s more so about the guys they went and got and the guys that are in the room. We can do a lot of things, a lot of different things. We’re all similar, but we’re all different. That’s the most exciting part, just knowing we have weapons in the tight end room, in the running back room, the quarterbacks are doing their thing, the receivers are holding it down. That’s the most exciting part, just everybody working towards one common goal and getting it done.”
(Do you think the added weapons help QB Tua Tagovailoa be more of the point guard on offense and distribute the ball to everyone?) – “Yeah, for sure. I think anybody in any position, just like a lineman getting three more linemen that are just like him, or receivers like you’re saying packing the receiver room out, I think it builds a lot of confidence from not just him, but everybody on the offense.”
(What’s it like when you look back at Head Coach Brian Flores’ first year here. You guys suited up 80-plus players and now you look around the locker room and you know what you have. Make the comparison between the two teams for me.) – “I’m not sure what you are asking.”
(Just how much more talent maybe you see on this team compared to a couple of years ago when guys were coming and going all the time?) – “They do a great job of scouting and getting the guys in. I feel like guys come and go, but their goal is to have a better team each year. I definitely feel like they’ve been doing that since they got here.”
(You don’t have WR Will Fuller for Week 1. What will the receivers have to do and what will it be like once you get him back?) – “They are going to be in trouble if they keep letting him rest like that. The guy is special and he’s got a lot of speed. He stretches the field vertically and does the right things. When we definitely get him back, we’re definitely going to take a step forward with the offense.”
(I saw some guys got some new jersey numbers today because of the roster. How has No. 2 worked out for you?) – “I love it. It’s something my dad played in when he was in sports. I’m the second, so it means a lot to me to wear this number. I’m just happy I can do it.”
(I saw you all dancing. It seems like you were jamming today. What’s the vibe like in that room personality-wise?) – “We’re real tight. Most of us have been around each other for a couple of years. Adding Jaylen (Waddle) and him just being a young guy and just tagging along like the little brother and wanting to be a part of the team, that’s a great thing. Will (Fuller), the same thing with him. He’s just trying to find a new home and we embraced him. I think he’s loving it here and we love having him.”
(When you were a kid, did the Mets play baseball? Did you go to the Mets spring training?) – “Yeah. I went to a couple of those.”
(Are you a Mets fan or baseball fan?) – “Charles Johnson is from my neighborhood so we grew up watching him. I played baseball myself. The Marlins, that was our team for sure.”
